A South African court has acquitted Nigerian televangelist Tim Omotoso of all 32 charges leveled against him, bringing an end to an eight-year legal battle that began with his arrest in 2017.
The Eastern Cape High Court, presided over by Judge Irma Schoeman, delivered the verdict on Wednesday, ruling that the prosecution had failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt.
Omotoso, 66, the senior pastor of the Jesus Dominion International (JDI) church, had faced accusations of rape, sexual assault, and human trafficking involving young women from his church.
Following the ruling, Omotoso fell to his knees in apparent prayer, reacting emotionally to the judgment.
Judge Schoeman acknowledged that some of Omotoso’s explanations seemed improbable but emphasized that the prosecution’s handling of the case was flawed, leading to the dismissal of all charges against him and two of his assistants who were also on trial.
“The accused are found not guilty and are discharged on all the charges,” Schoeman stated.
The case had drawn significant public attention, with women testifying that Omotoso had handpicked them for alleged abuse, sometimes after involving them in a gospel group he founded, Grace Galaxy.
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Some of the alleged victims were still in school at the time of the incidents, the court heard.
As the verdict was delivered, dozens of protesters gathered outside the courthouse in Gqeberha, demonstrating against gender-based violence in a country grappling with high rates of rape and abuse.
The ruling also came amid widespread outrage over a separate case involving the alleged rape of a seven-year-old girl at her school in 2023, which has yet to result in any arrests.
According to police statistics, South Africa recorded 42,500 reported rapes in the 2023-24 financial year, highlighting the ongoing crisis of sexual violence in the country.
The case against Omotoso had been closely watched, and his acquittal has sparked mixed reactions from the public, with some questioning the handling of the prosecution while others view the verdict as justice served.